A Song of Two Rivers
by ArtemisNakajima
Summary: Yuuri is an aspiring violinist with anxiety problems who wrote a piece called the Song of Two Rivers, a duet for a violinist and a cellist. When he attempts to debut the piece as a solo, his anxiety gets the better of him and he fails the performance. But Phichit Chulanont has an idea...
1. Chapter 1

**The story was prompted by 525Clouds, who asked me to write about Vikor and Yuuri and a cellist and Violinist, respectively. I hope that it turns out well!**

Yuuri's bow felt heavy in his fingers as he dragged it slowly across the violin for the first time. In his young, six-year-old mind, the music emanating from its beautiful wooden body felt like a river; hold tight or you would be dragged along down its endless stream. He giggled lightly, the sound echoing through the small music shop.

"Do you like it?" asked Yuuri's mother, Hiroko. She patted her son on the back, standing and taking in Mari, Yuuri's older sister, across the room. She strummed lightheartedly on the bass guitar, her small fingers curling around the neck protectively. Yuuri could tell she was torn; they could only afford one music instrument. She glanced at Yuuri, watching him lift the instrument to his cheek and pull the bow across the strings.

Yuuri could feel his fingers curl instinctively around the neck, playing a note he'd only ever seen Viktor Nikiforov; world famous cellist, play on his cello. Hiroko's eyes widened in surprise as he shook his fingers back and forth on the neck, adding something akin to a vibrato to the note. She let out a breath, closing her eyes.

"We'll get the violin. Come on guys, it's time to go home."

18 years later:

Tokyo Festival of the Arts

Yuuri pulled his violin from his case backstage, remembering his first time picking up the instrument. The violin he owned now was much larger; the small child's one he'd had as a kid had been donated years before, but he still felt the same as he played; like an endless ocean. The music flowed out of his violin in waves, the instrument feeling like nothing more than an extension of his body. He could feel the song flow through him, but he never let himself run away with it.

Well, except this time.

"Yuuri, c'mon! You have to warm up. This is the debut!" yelled his best friend and fellow violinist Phichit Chulanont. They usually played together, but this time Yuuri was going to solo. It was something he'd only done once before and he swore to never do again; yet, here he was, playing onstage alone. It was something he'd seen Viktor Nikiforov do many times when he was touring the world; the man never played a duet. At one point an affluent host at Carnegie Hall had told him that it was necessary that he have another person with him on stage, but he refused. They told him that he wouldn't get to play if he didn't have another person on stage with him, and he got visibly angry.

Guess who didn't play Carnegie that year?

Yuuri sighed, pulling his small violin from its case and knocking out a few practice notes. He tuned his violin at least six times, tightened and loosened his bow at least five, and redid his tie at least more times than he could count. He was nervous; he'd never played something as big as this before. His fingers fumbles over the notes, his bow still wasn't tight enough, the violin wasn't in perfect tune... he started to panic. Phichit placed his hand on Yuuri's shoulder and patted his back.

"Yuuri, you're going to do great!" Cheers erupted from the crowd as his name was announced, and Yuuri felt his heartbeat speed up.

"No... no, Phichit, I can't do this..." Yuuri set down his violin, his breathing ragged.

"Yuuri. Yuuri." Phichit got directly in front of his face, locking eyes with him.

"You'll be awesome. Just breathe." Phichit rubbed his shoulder briefly before standing and holding out his hand. Yuuri hadn't even realized that he was currently seated on the floor, his legs splayed out beside him. He blushed, embarrassed, before taking Phichit's outstretched hand. He stood, gathering his bow and violin and walked out on stage.

Yuuri figured the best way to avoid panicking was to focus on anything but the audience, but it only worked to a point. The ecstatic cries of the crowd were seeping into his conscience and breaking down his already cracked self-confidence. Yuuri gasped out a breath, focusing on the music set out on the stand in front of him, but he couldn't handle it.

Yuuri's hands shook as he drew out the first note, biting his lower lip tightly. His violin squeaked, the sound echoing around the hall and making Yuuri sweat. He tried to focus on the music, on the piece that he'd written, but he couldn't handle it.

For Viktor! -he told himself, but it didn't matter. He could feel the audience's displeasure as he went all over the place, the piece gone from his mind. He tried to re-focus, to gain control of the situation, but he couldn't take it.

Tears streamed out of Yuuri's eyes as he ran towards the doors, trying to maintain the majority of his composure until he could get away from these people.

Away from his failure.


	2. Chapter 2

Yuuri wouldn't speak all the way home from the venue, his heart beating faster than he thought possible. He stared sadly down at the violin case that lay across his waist, tears falling from his eyes. They hadn't stopped since he had rushed off the stage nearly an hour earlier, and Yuuri could feel Phichit's worry wash over him like rain on a stormy evening. He closed his eyes, breathing deeply; he would do anything to stop the incessant flow of tears down his cheeks.

"Yuuri..." Phichit started, totally at a loss for words. He wrung his hands.

"You really weren't... THAT... bad." Tears only streamed down Yuuri's face faster.

"Wow, that was really helpful," he said sarcastically, rolling his eyes, but the fact that he was still crying ruined the effect.

"Oh, Yuuri, I'm so sorry..." Phichit wrapped his arms around Yuuri, pulling him in a tight embrace. He nuzzled his shoulder. "Please forgive me!" Yuuri sighed, torn. He stared out the window.

"Yeah... okay. It wasn't really your fault. I'm just being sensitive" Yuuri rubbed his hand across his nose, sniffling loudly. Phichit pulled away with a forced smile.

"Good! I wouldn't want you sulking around the apartment and avoiding me like last time." His roommate glanced out the window, deep in thought. Yuuri vaguely remembered that night; he'd been angry at Phichit for a reason he didn't quite remember...

In fact, the only thing he did remember was waking up the next morning with a splitting headache and finding the majority of their shared two-bedroom apartment in disarray. He figured out later that he'd met someone famous (Phichit neglected to mention who) and had performed for them. Phichit told Yuuri he had assumed it hadn't gone well because he found him two hours later at a local bar, drinking his life away. Yuuri decided after that he wouldn't get drunk like that again; he had nearly lost control. The only reason the entire apartment complex wasn't in shambles was because Yuuri was so drunk he passed out before he could do anything truly harmful.

That didn't make it any better for Yuuri to hear, really. He hated the thought of himself drinking in depression. He had gotten drunk before, but those times were different; he'd always been described as the life of the party, the person everyone wanted to hang around with. His anxiety went away, and Yuuri selfishly wished that he could be more like that sober. Being able to form a complete sentence when conversing with a stranger would definitely be helpful, and then he would even be able to perform without having a nervous breakdown. He hated his anxious self.

Plus, he didn't think that Viktor Nikiforov, if he ever met him, would want to talk to someone who was speaking incomprehensibly and without aforethought. That didn't mean he did not want to meet the man, however...

Yuuri pushed that thought away, climbing out of the taxi with Phichit and paying the small fare. His case (being the only thing he brought with him) fit snugly in his palm as he ascended the stairs to the apartment. Phichit pulled the key out of his pocket and he laughed, trying at least three different keys before he found the correct one.

"We have been living here for what, 4 years? And I STILL can't remember which key is the right one!" he laughed, the lively tune to his voice filling the quiet hallway.

"SHH!!! Everyone is already sleeping!!" Yuuri whispered urgently, taking the keys from Phichit's hands and shoving the correct one in the lock. He struggled to turn the lock, but soon shoved his way into the apartment, rushing into his room immediately.

"Just gonna leave me like that, eh?!" He shouted into the other rooms, and Yuuri sighed, thankful for the think walls. He pulled out his violin, slipping the music onto a small stand on one side of his room and starting to play.

Phichit:

Phichit watched through the doorway into the room, his smartphone angled through the opening between the door and the frame. He watched Yuuri play, Live Streaming the performance on his phone. The way Yuuri performed on his own made Phichit slightly jealous; it was like when he was alone, he was completely serene. Phichit watched him close his eyes as the song progressed. It was a companion piece Yuuri had written; one to a song called 'The River Melody' by Viktor Nikiforov. He'd called it 'A Song of Two Rivers', the Rivers being Yuuri and Viktor. Both Phichit and Yuuri knew in their hearts that the probability of him being able to perform it with the living legend would be one in a million, but he could see that Yuuri hoped all the same.

Phichit could feel his heart beat faster as Yuuri reached the climax of the piece, his bow struggling over the violin's strings. He scrunched his face up, playing for a few moments longer before turning away from his music stand and dragging out the last note. Phichit could tell he'd intended to have it taper off, but that's when Yuuri finally noticed him.

"AACCCKK—!!" he screeched, the bow sliding off the strings with a shrill squeal. Yuuri's eyes were wide as he stared at Phichit in disbelief, tears welling up. He let the instrument fall from his cheek, his body slumping to the ground and shaking.

"P-Phichit!!!!" he shouted, staring at the man. Phichit's phone had fallen on the bed, and Yuuri had seen the Live video symbol in the top of the screen.

"H-how c-c-could you??" He smushed his wrists into his eyes, trying to fight away tears. Phichit was dumbfounded. He didn't think Yuuri would see him, and he wondered if the violinist was okay.

"Yuuri… it was just too beautiful. I had to share it." Phichit knew that Yuuri wouldn't accept his reasons, but he didn't push it… well, much.

"I'm so sorry Yuuri. You wanted to debut the song, and… I…" he stopped, taking in he look on Yuuri's face.

"I really—"

"Go," Yuuri interrupted. He had his knees tucked up to his chest, his eyes pressed into them as he shook, but his finger was resolute. It pointed towards the door, and Phichit knew what it meant. He'd never seen Yuuri quite so… angry before. He sighed at length, turning and walking out the door with his phone. Phichit spared one last glance at the crying man before slipping out the door, closing it tightly behind him.

Yuuri:

-Oh my god he shared the video- Yuuri thought miserably, his hands shaking violently around his shoulders. His hiccupy breath was only serving to make matters worse; he wasn't able to calm himself down as easily.

-Everyone is going to think I'm a failure. I can't play violin! I'm just a useless 24 year old with a dream…- Yuuri sighed, but it did nothing for his anxiety. It milled about in his body, making him shake and causing the tears to fall.

Yuuri had had the same dream since he was 6 years old; perform a piece on stage with Viktor Nikiforov. Yuuri had envied and looked up to him since he was small; he'd originally wanted to play cello but they were too expensive. He figured that he liked the violin, and he could still play with the man if he learned the smaller instrument.

He'd also been six and almost completely clueless.

Yuuri received so many messages; fans, family, occasionally another aspiring or famous musician. He turned off his phone, slumping onto the bed dejectedly.

Yuuri thought he'd never get to sleep; his nerves were far from settled down, but he surprised himself quite a bit by falling asleep almost instantly.

Yuuri lunged out in his sleep, his home phone balancing precariously on his desk before slamming to the floor. The thing had started to ring, against the ordinary on so many levels. Yuuri completely slept through it, the answering machine picking up after a few moments of blissful silence.

"Hi, it's Viktor." The man fumbled with the phone, a loud click echoing through the room.

"Viktor Nikiforov…" A large breath.

"Can we talk?"


	3. Chapter 3

Yuuri slipped out of bed, wincing as he dragged his arm cautiously across the bed. A nastly-looking bruise winked up at him from his forearm, the purple flesh risen into a soft dome, and Yuuri startled. He sleepily wondered what could have caused such a large, imposing injury, but his confusion didn't last much longer. Yuuri stepped away from his bed, stomping on his phone.

The room quickly filled with shouting as Yuuri grasped his foot firmly, shouting from the pain in his foot. Nothing had broken the surface, however; it hurt like hell. Yuuri's screaming nearly blocked out the sound of Yuuri's answering machine, but the soft lilt of Russian stopped Yuuri in his tracks. He started down at his phone, listening to his last left message replay over the machine.

"Viktor Nikiforov." He heard someone breathe deeply on the other end of the receiver.

"Can we talk? I saw that video that your friend Phichit+Chu uploaded on YouTube and was positively stunned at your skills. Believe it or not, I have actually watched you play before, and have been pleasantly surprised. Umm..." Viktor seemed at a loss for words, and Yuuri sat back on his bed, unable to stand. Phichit burst into the room, shouting,

"VIKTOR JUST LIKED YOUR VIDEO ON YOUTU-" before Yuuri slapped a clammy hand over his mouth. He turned back to the answering machine, nodding for Phichit to sit next to him, and Viktor seemed to gather his train of thought.

"… honestly, though." Viktor laughed, and Yuuri could feel his heart beat faster. It was smooth, beautiful; like music. Yuuri felt he could listen to Viktor's laugh all day, no matter how awkward and strangely nervous it was.

"If you remember anything... anything at ALL about the Crocodile, you'll understand what I mean."

Yuuri hardly heard the rest. The minute the name of the bar that he'd been to that night two years ago was named, it was as though Yuuri's mind shut itself off. Because that was when Yuuri realized why Phichit hadn't told him the whole truth.

"When we talked about Seattle and you said 'Someone Famous'..." Yuuri started, his voice shaking. He paused the message, taking a deep breath and slipping his glasses onto his face to see Phichit better.

"Were you talking about... about..." Yuuri gasped, starting over and getting straight to the point.

"DID I PERFORM FOR VIKTOR NIKIFOROV?!"

 _The Crocodile Bar; Seattle, Washington, USA._

 _2 years ago._

Viktor stared around the bar gloomily, swirling his vodka around in his glass. He sat in a far corner, wondering how his life had come to this.

Viktor's manager, Yakov, decided to take them all to the Crocodile after another meaningless performance. He'd played in Reykjavik, Iceland two days before, and despite the rest day, he was still jet lagged and had been disastrously close to calling off the performance at Meany Hall that night. However, he'd gone through with the performance, but he couldn't help but feel like he'd lost something; something he'd never even noticed he'd had until it had been ripped from between his fingertips. Yakov, Mila (his technician), and at least ten others with various jobs in the music industry were jumping around in the other room to the loud music, but Viktor sat alone. He figured he should have been happy; all these people were celebrating for him.

But he just... wasn't feeling it.

He glanced around the small room, having nothing better to do. It was dimly lit, with moderate ceilings and lined with booths on one side. On the other was a bar; it stretched almost all the way along the right wall, tall bottles lining the sleek shelves. The building looked like a nice place, but Viktor couldn't help but wonder if maybe he shouldn't have come.

The booths were high, and he slouched as he shoved his feet under the table, sighing at length as he stared at his phone. He paid no heed to the others dancing around in the bar, narrowing his eyes and staring at his phone distractedly.

He was so distracted, in fact, he didn't even notice the black-haired beauty that slid into his booth, drunk. In fact, he didn't notice the boy until he gasped out, shouting,

"I'm so sorry I didn't realize there was anyone else in this booth!" The boy was talking fine, but Viktor could tell that he was a little bit tipsy; his hair was sticking out in all directions and he was unsteady on his feet. When the boy got up to find another place, Viktor reached out and pulled him back, worried for his safety.

"Stay here; if you drink anymore I doubt you'll be able to walk," Viktor said, wrapping a shoulder around the man and sitting him back down, this time on the inside of the booth. He laid his head on Viktor's shoulder and Viktor suddenly realized how drunk he really was.

"You're *hic* You're kinda c-c-cute!" Yuuri giggled, and Viktor saw the empty glass in front of him.

The one that had been full less than five minutes ago.

Viktor groaned, feeling the man loosen his grip on Viktor and slide towards the floor. He could barely sit up; Viktor supposed that whatever was in that glass; it had to have been strong. He gripped Yuuri's shoulders firmly, wondering what the man had even been doing there in the first place. Deciding he'd go for it, Viktor asked Yuuri as much.

"I *hic* I don't know…" he slurred.

"I came to see your show… then I was all POOF!" Yuuri made an explosive motion with his hands.

"I heard you were gonna be here, so I figured, 'I can meet him!'" Yuuri stopped, contemplative.

"I play violin by the way!" He shouted gleefully, hopping in his seat next to Viktor, but it was short lived. After he was done speaking, he collapsed into Viktor's side, completely asleep.

- _what a cutie_ \- thought Viktor distractedly, then his eyes went wide.

- _did I just call this drunk-ass fool cute?_ \- Viktor sighed, but he was far from relaxed. His arm was the only thing keeping Yuuri from sliding to the ground, and it was starting to tire.

..oo00oo..

It was nearly 4am before Yuuri finally woke up. He snuggled against a stranger for a moment, lifting his hands above his head and yawning. Then he froze.

Yuuri had no idea why he was sleeping on a bench in the crocodile tavern, Viktor Nikiforov's head laying on his stomach. He bolted out of the way, eliciting a strangled gasp from the cellist as his head hit the wood. He looked up, staring at Yuuri (who was admittedly still a little drunk) and grinning slightly. Yuuri looked at him in shock before rubbing the back of his head lightly.

His sluggish brain wondered what had transpired to make the cellist climb towards him seductively, muttering,

"You said you play violin, eh? Why not show me what you can do?" Viktor got directly in front of Yuuri, his eyes half open and his smirk not unlike that of a tiger preparing to pounce on its incapacitated prey. Some part of Yuuri's brain mentally noted that Viktor was probably not drunk, but his tarnished mind didn't care. The man climbed off him, grabbing his hand and pulling him over to a waiting car.

Yuuri didn't even stop to wonder how the driver had known about Viktor needing a ride, paying it no mind. He just got in the car after Viktor, falling asleep on his shoulder again on their way to Viktor's hotel.

The building was fairly small for a five-star hotel; Yuuri gasped in awe. The only reason he'd ever even gone to the Meany Hall performance rather than the one in, say, Tokyo was because it was cheap and the plane tickets were fairly inexpensive.

Viktor pulled Yuuri inside, dragging him upstairs to his room. The man had a cello, a violin, two ukuleles, a guitar, and a bass in his room, making Yuuri gasp.

"Where'd ya get all these?!" Yuuri slurred, rushing to pick up a violin. He slid a small bow up to the strings, smiling.

"Lemme show you!" He shouted, playing a few notes.

Let's just say that Yuuri didn't need to be sober to be amazing.

"Viktor, watch meeeee!" Yuuri shouted, and Viktor watched, enraptured. He was stunned; Yuuri had never been this good in any of his videos. The music flowed from his body like water; Yuuri could tell that Viktor wondered if he was actually drunk.

By 6, Viktor had brought Yuuri back to the bar (his friend Phichit promised to come pick him up) and he left Yuuri at his table. He had written his number on Yuuri's forearm, making him promise to call. Yuuri, accepting quickly, ordered another drink and sat at the bar, chatting animatedly with the bartender before falling into a sort of slump. When Phichit arrived and saw Yuuri slouched at the bar, he assumed the worst.

He hadn't realized that Yuuri had just had the best night of his life.

It was just a shame that he wouldn't remember any of it.

 _Present, Yuuri's bedroom._

"I WHAT?!" Yuuri shouted, covering his face with his hands. Phichit had shown Yuuri what he had texted him during the whole ordeal. They were short, grammatically incorrect text messages, and most of them made absolutely no sense. Yuuri scrolled through, jaw hanging open.

"I...I..." He stopped, dropping the phone and curling up into the fetal position with tears running down his face.

"What did I DO?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry I haven't updated in so long guys. I'm a freshman in high school and homework and everything is just *draws hand across neck*. Anyways, I'm so sorry this took so long, and it's kind of short, but... yeah. anyways... hope you like!**

Yuuri didn't call Viktor back.

The night that he'd just rehashed with Phichit's help only made him realize that he shouldn't play with the man. He was a sort of god; Viktor Nikiforov had played for the QUEEN OF ENGLAND, and he'd barely gotten out of Tokyo, Japan. Yuuri placed his head in his hands, trying to hold back the tears that were preparing to cascade down his face. He held his expensive cherry wood violin, taking in deep, slow breaths in an attempt to slow his rapid breathing, but it wasn't helping.

"Phichit," Yuuri gasped, and the man came over. Yuuri's eyes were wide, and he could feel the nerves start to wrack his body.

"Wh-what if I mess up again? Or—or if its empty because of last time? Oh I failed didn't I... Phichit, I ruined everything!" Phichit placed his hands onto his shoulders as Yuuri started to cry, giving Yuuri a big hug.

"Don't worry! It's just like before remember? I'll be right up on stage with you. You'll do great!"

"Thanks Phichit," Yuuri muttered, hugging Phichit back before taking a deep breath and walking up on stage with his best friend. He tried not to look at the crowd, only at Phichit, because that way he could keep his calmed heart from racing. He fiddled nervously with his bow, tapping it against his knee and such as the crowd cheered incessantly.

"And now, we have..." the announcer began as the cheers only increased in volume.

"Katsuki Yuuri and Phichit Chulanont!" The crowd roared in approval, and if Yuuri had been a turtle, he would never have come out of his shell again. He bent his shoulders, staring at the ground and wanting so desperately to just disappear.

"Yuuri," Phichit counted off the song, dragging his bow across the violin and urging Yuuri to follow. Yuuri picked up his instrument, readying to come in at the next measure.

Yuuri and Phichit had developed a strategy for their playing. Yuuri could never start a piece because playing in the first measures, or alone, severely messed him up. Therefore, Yuuri would wait a measure, then come in later. He ended on the same note as Phichit, but that was different. He was always terribly nervous at the beginning, but by the time he reached the end, he would be perfectly fine.

Yuuri watched Phichit start the piece, his fingers fiddling on the strings along with Phichit. He swung his bow up to the crook of his neck, and as soon as Phichit hit the first note of the next measure, Yuuri started.

The Song of Two Rivers flowed through his body, and distantly he heard cheering. He just closed his eyes and ignored everyone, focusing on his song. Clapping filled his ears, and he stood, welcoming their reaction as he strung out the last note. He turned to congratulate Phichit, thinking the man would be standing beside him.

But Phichit was gone.

As soon as the realization dawned on Yuuri that he'd just played that entire song by himself, he suddenly felt very uncomfortable. No matter the standing ovation from the audience, or the piercing blue eyes staring at him from across the room, tears sparkling against the bright lights. His silver hair caught the light, and Yuuri's eyes drifted towards him curiously.

But wait.

It did matter.

Yuuri choked, stumbling backwards when he realized who the man at the back of the auditorium was. He suddenly wished he hadn't worn contacts, because then he wouldn't have been able to see the man's face. At this point, however, it wouldn't have helped.

Yuuri would have recognized the short, silver hair and azure blue eyes, which were signature of world renown Viktor Nikiforov, anywhere. It didn't matter to him that Viktor was smiling, tears running down his face out of happiness.

The very act of him being in the audience made Yuuri want to curl up and die.

Yuuri turned and ran off stage, trying to ignore the way his idol's face fell at the sight. He heard the confused sounds people were making behind him as he sprinted, tears flying behind him and his sobs filling the small space.

"Phichit!" Yuuri called, seeing his best friend talking to one of the managers. He turned to stare at Yuuri as he ran towards him, his happiness becoming something akin to fear. Yuuri stopped and grabbed him by the shoulders.

"How could you do that to me?!" Yuuri screamed into Phichit's face, shaking him as the man stared at him, eyes wide. He took Yuuri's hands and removed them from his shoulders, instead asking him what was wrong.

"You... you left me out there... to..."

"Listen... I felt that if I started with you and you didn't see I'd left, you'd be able to play just fine. It's okay, Yuuri. You just played for a whole bunch of people who were positively screaming when you were done. That was amazing. I mean..." He laughed.

"It's not like Viktor Nikiforov was in the audience or anything." His giggles stopped abruptly when he saw the look on Yuuri's face, his expression morphing into one of awe.

"Oh... shit." He gasped, running towards the curtain. Pulling away the red tapestry, he glimpsed the man at the back of the auditorium.

"Oh my god Yuuri! You just played for Viktor Nikiforov!" Phichit held his best friend's shoulders as the man shook.

"You were amazing! He was probably very impressed," Phichit encouraged loudly, trying to liven Yuuri's spirits, but he wasn't having it. He just closed his eyes and held his head in his hands as Phichit started jumping up and down in excitement.

"I'm so happy for you!" Phichit said, like he'd just gotten engaged or something. Yuuri could barely move, his body seizing up. Phichit continued to congratulate him, but Yuuri heard nothing. His brain was too busy boiling in his head from fear and embarrassment.

After nearly twenty minutes, Phichit was finally able to get Yuuri to uncurl from the ball he'd wound himself up into. He tugged the man off the ground, pulling him towards a waiting cab back to Yuuri's apartment, but Yuuri stopped.

"I want... I want to walk home." Phichit looked at him curiously, putting his hand on Yuuri's shoulder.

"Really? Okay, I'll walk with you." Phichit turned towards thecab driver, about to usher him off, but Yuuri stopped him.

"I want to go... alone." Yuuri looked at the ground.

"Seriously? At this time of night?"

"Yes... so, I'll see you later, at the apartment?" Yuuri said, walking away. Phichit looked ready to say more, but instead insisted on taking Yuuri's instrument and walked back to the waiting cab.

"Bye. Be careful." Yuuri attempted a smile.

"Yeah, okay. See you." Yuuri started away into the darkness, unaware of the soft flash of silver behind him until it was too late. He tripped, a thick root sending him tumbling to the ground. Before he could hit the ground however, a pair of long arms wrapped around his waist and tugged him back up into a standing position.

"What the-" Yuuri started.

But he never got to finish his sentence.


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm starting to think that maybe I should lengthen my chapters a little, and maybe make them less cliche, so from now on they should be a little longer and more fun. Anyways, I hope that you enjoy! I may not be able to update for a little while because school *rolls eyes* but this is not the end! I will make sure to finish all of my stories. I know that there are a lot of authors who start a story and never finish it, but I will not be one of those. It may take me a while, but just know that I would never leave you hanging like that.**

 **Please don't hesitate to like and review! I love to hear from you guys.**

 **Also, If you haven't, please check out my friend TeamAlphaQ. They are an amazing author and I really enjoy their writing. Their stories are much better written than mine and I really think that if you like this, you'll like Q's stories.**

 **Thank you! Love you all,**

 **Viktor**

Viktor could feel his hands start to hurt after clapping for Yuuri for so long, but he couldn't stop. It was just so beautiful, and Viktor was starting to wonder what Yuuri would think if he saw him when the man locked eyes with him.

Viktor's face fell visibly when Yuuri scrambled back and screeched, turning and tripping over himself as he bolted off the stage. Viktor could tell the man was afraid of something, but what? Then it dawned on him.

"Me?" he whispered to himself, his hands falling at his sides. He could feel the worry and confusion fill the room as Yuuri disappeared, but all Viktor felt was the pain of rejection. He shook his head watching the velvet curtains sway a bit as the other half of the duo, Phichit Chulanont, budged the curtain and peeked at him around the edge. His eyes seemed to light up in excitement, and while that always made Viktor happy and giddy inside, today it didn't. He could feel something in his chest burn, and his stomach wasn't feeling so well.

"Oh my god, its VIKTOR NIKIFOROV!" screamed a young girl beside him, and he momentarily wondered what took her so long to recognize him. He watched her face scrunch up, and she tried to climb over the seats to reach him. Normally, he would stay to meet with his fans, but it was generally with at least two security guards and a table in between them.

He hadn't been out like this, alone, in almost six years.

Viktor's heart started hammering in his chest as his presence in the audience became common knowledge. He scrambled from his seat, trying to get out of the venue unscathed, but people kept grabbing at his clothes and his limbs. He tripped his way out, stumbling when he finally reached the aisle as shot out of the building.

When Viktor reached the street, he looked around desperately. The street was mostly dark, for which he was thankful. He turned left, bolting down a dark alley, his breathing loud.

Viktor didn't notice the man in front of him until he tripped over a particularly large tree root, his squeal making Viktor jump. He slowed down, grabbing the man around the shoulders and hefting him up before he fell. Viktor pulled him tightly up to him, turning him around to face him as the man yelled,

"What the-"

"Well, hello Yuuri." The man's face went pink, and he struggled to get out of Viktor's grip. Viktor quickly let go of him, but reached out and grabbed his sleeve before the man could get away.

"Yuuri, what's going on? It's like you're avoiding me!" he pouted, tugging Yuuri's sleeve. When Yuuri looked into his reflective eyes and saw how sad the man was, he stopped.

"Why were you following me?" Viktor coughed, laughing humorlessly and his free hand wrapped itself around the back of his neck. His mouth drew back into a frown, and he looked away.

"Um... well, funny story..." Viktor looked up at Yuuri.

"I wasn't actually. The people in the audience may or may not have figured out that it was me... and..." The sound of screaming drifted around the corner.

"Speak of the devils," Viktor muttered under his breath, tugging Yuuri along behind him as the man followed blankly. He was slow, and Viktor was desperately finding somewhere to hide.

"Yuuri, please hurry up!" Viktor said. Then Yuuri tugged himself out of Viktor's grip.

"Why? They won't touch me."

"Yes, they will. Please," Viktor begged, running back at grasping Yuuri's hands. Viktor's fans rounded the corner, and as soon as Yuuri saw the very size of that crowd, he was all in. He ran alongside Viktor, sneaking looks behind them as they sprinted down the alleyway.

"Where are we going?!" called Yuuri, and Viktor tugged him into a dark doorway. The fans weren't in view, so he wasn't worried at this point.

"Where's your apartment?" Viktor asked Yuuri, who frowned.

"How do you know I live-"

"Just... where is your apartment. I need to know which is closer; your apartment or my hotel." Viktor interrupted, and he looked away again.

"I'm starting to think that maybe you WERE stalking me," said Yuuri, the steely side to his voice taking Viktor off guard.

"No! I swear. I only know you live in the area because you told me the... last time we spoke," Viktor's face had gotten ten shades darker, but Yuuri seemed to relax a little.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

Awkward silence.

"We should probably get going. I think we lost them, but we don't want to take any chances."

"You know, they don't know it was you. You could leave now, if you wanted." Viktor looked sad, and he rubbed his arm with his hand.

"I'm sure that I could get back fine, and-"

"No. I'm staying." No matter how tempting it was to get off scot-free, Yuuri didn't want to leave Viktor alone. He had no idea what those fans would do to him if they caught him, and he figured that at least having one line of defense couldn't hurt.

"Really?" Viktor looked up hopefully, a small smile lighting up his face. Yuuri blushed slightly, looking at the ground.

"Yeah. I mean, I want to make sure they don't do anything to you." Viktor, if at all possible, turned even darker. Then his entire face twitched, and he started laughing uncontrollably.

Yuuri blinked.

"That's not what I meant," he said, but he couldn't help the giggles that shuddered up his spine, and he started laughing right along beside Viktor.

"I didn't know you were so possessive," Viktor remarked sarcastically, bending over at the waist as he shook with laughter.

"Hey! You know that's not what I meant! Come on, Viktor." Viktor put his arm around Yuuri, pulling the two of them out of the doorway and into the alley. He continued to talk as they walked, but Yuuri couldn't focus. He was too distracted by the fact that his idol had his arm around his shoulders, and was actually speaking to him.

Never mind the fact that neither had actually spoken about where they lived, so he had no clue where they were going until they approached a large, twelve story hotel with individual balconies and marble stairs. Yuuri felt that he shouldn't even be here; this place was much too fancy for him. However, Viktor didn't even seem to notice. He just tugged Yuuri up the stairs, smiling at him as they sped up to the entrance.

Then Viktor's face changed. His eyes went wide, and he shoved Yuuri towards the doors faster.

"Oh shit."

The fans were back.

They rushed through the doors, and the star-struck employees were making it difficult for Viktor to rent a room. They could barely do anything, and the fans were getting closer.

"Just please get me a room!"

"I...uh..."

"PLEASE! I would like to remain in one piece, and fully clothed for the time being!" The lady at the front counter seemed to finally snap out of her trance, and as soon as she handed Viktor the key, he grabbed Yuuri's hand and tugged him towards the stairs. The fans were running up the steps like a swarm of bees, and Yuuri couldn't help but feel terrified for his life.

"Why aren't we just taking the elevator?" Yuuri asked as they climbed the long staircases. He was panting hard, and the fact that the room Viktor had booked was on the top floor didn't help.

"Too long. And when fans want something, they will do anything to get it," Viktor replied cryptically. When they finally reached the door for floor twelve, Yuuri was nearly passed out from exhaustion. He stumbled through the door behind Viktor, and they rushed down the halls.

"Please hurry a little!" Viktor whined, searching for the room number. When he finally found it, Viktor pulled Yuuri to a stop beside him and unlocked the door with the keycard. It swung open, and Viktor shoved Yuuri through the door and locked it behind them.

"Why did you drag me here? This isn't even your hotel, is it?" Viktor winced.

"Well... no, but I've always wanted to stay here. And it was the closest hotel that wasn't a mere hole in the wall." Yuuri could hear shouting down the hall, and he unconsciously shivered. He turned around to Viktor, tears sparkling in his eyes. Viktor's went wide, and he pulled Yuuri into a hug.

"Are you okay? I'm sorry I dragged you into this!" He could feel the tears start to stream down Yuuri's cheeks onto his hoodie, but Yuuri's voice was surprisingly calm when he spoke.

"No. I got myself into this." Another shout, and Yuuri's heartbeat sped up.

"They won't find us, will they? Have you ever been caught by them?"

"No, they will probably not find us." He took a deep breath.

"And yes, I have. Otherwise I probably wouldn't be running from them like I am." Viktor said quietly. He pulled away, tears springing into his eyes.

"What did they do?" Yuuri looked curious, nonjudgmental, so Viktor took a deep breath.

"They... um... they took my clothing, and I nearly suffocated. It seems ridiculous, but when I woke up in the hospital a few days later, a sixteen-year-old who had almost been killed by his fans, I nearly retired right there. The only reason I stayed was because of the fact that my family promised to hire me a couple of security guards so that wouldn't happen again."

"Damn. I never knew that fans could be so... savage," Yuuri breathed, turning and, without warning, giving Viktor a small hug. Viktor returned it full force and smiled at Yuuri.

"Thank you for not being one of those fans."

"I don't think I could," he said, gesturing at himself. Viktor frowned, unsure what Yuuri meant. His weight? Yuuri was fine. In fact, Viktor thought that he was more than fine...

"What do you mean? You're perfect!" Yuuri blushed and turned away. He walked over towards the main room, muttering under his breath,

"Says the hottest man ever."

Viktor stopped.

"What?" he asked, surprised. Yuuri jumped.

"Hunh?"

"What did you say?"

"Wh... what do you mean?" Yuuri asked, then his eyes went wide.

"Please tell me I didn't say that out loud."

"Yeah, you did," Viktor said, smirking.

"It's okay. It doesn't really mean anything," Viktor reassured him, trying to tell himself that it was true. Viktor had said what he said truthfully, but also in a sort of joking manner. Yuuri had said he was hot.

Why was Viktor's heart beating this fast?

"When do you think they'll leave?" Yuuri asked, changing the subject completely, and Viktor was thankful.

"Probably not until morning. They'll expect me to come out, so I suspect that they'll probably be here until noon tomorrow or so."

"Seriously?" Yuuri asked incredulously.

"Yeah. They've stayed longer before, trust me."

"And you can't just... call your security or something?" Viktor mentally slapped himself in the face. He didn't want Yuuri to go, so he wracked his brain for an excuse.

"Umm...I left my phone in my coat, which is probably in the hands of one of the many people who were chasing us. Also, my security guards didn't know I was... out." Yuuri's shoulders sagged, and he hated himself for being so stupidly prepared. He'd just wanted to go to the performance. He wasn't used to having to look out for his belongings, and luckily his phone was locked, so...

"Plus, they woudn't be able to do anything about the fans. They aren't doing anything wrong... necessarily," Viktor explained, and Yuuri seemed to relax a little.

"Now... since we are going to be here for the rest of the night, probably, I'm going to take a shower. Are you going to? I'll take the floor if you want, since there's only one bed, and we'll probably be able to be out of here by around noon or so tomorrow." Viktor walked towards the bathroom.

"Are you going to take a shower?"

"Yes."

"Then come over here." Yuuri turned pink.

"I... uh..." Viktor rolled his eyes, realization hitting him. His cheeks flamed a little as well.

"Don't be silly; there's two showers. It's just that the towels are in this one and if you want one you'll have to get one now before I lock the door."

"Oh, okay," Yuuri muttered, staring at the floor as he walked towards the bathroom. He walked in, grabbed a towel, and proceeded to turn to Viktor, who grimaced from the other side of the room.

"Okay, I didn't... exactly... lie, more like I was..." Viktor looked away. Yuuri closed his eyes.

"What."

"Umm... there're two showers, but they're both in here." Viktor said.

"They're both covered though. Don't worry," Viktor reassured Yuuri, walking towards one of the shower stalls.

"Okay, that's fine... I guess. What's the problem?"

"Unless you want to change in the shower, we'll both have to change out here."

"Um... okay... are you not comfortable...?" Viktor turned back to Yuuri, eyes wide.

"Umm..." Other than the fact that I'm seriously attracted to you and I don't know if I can trust myself to not stare? - Viktor thought, then he stopped.

Wait, what?

Yuuri touched his shoulder, and he jumped.

"Are you alright? I'll wait. Let me know when you're done so I can take one after you okay?" Viktor nodded absentmindedly. He walked over to the shower, unable to think until the door clicked shut behind him.

Viktor sat down on the floor, resting his head in his hands.

What the hell?

Sure, Yuuri was nice, and good looking, and talented, but he wasn't... attracted to him.

Was he?

Viktor showered, thinking as he massaged the soap into a thick lather on his head.

"Viktor?" A knock on the door.

"Yes?" he called, wondering why Yuuri was at the door.

"You've been in there for almost a half an hour. I just wanted to make sure you hadn't fallen... or something." Viktor felt his heart leap when he realized that Yuuri had been worried for him.

Then it stuttered to a stop when he realized how long he'd been in the shower, and that he'd given Yuuri a reason to be anxious.

"I'm fine, I'll be right out."

"Okay."

Viktor rinsed out the soap, his fingers shaking.

What was going on?

A bathrobe hung on the hook by the door, so instead of climbing back in the clothes he'd worn all day, he pulled it off the hook and wore it instead. Opening the door, he was surprised to find Yuuri standing directly outside.

"I... uh... sorry." Yuuri said, turning pink and quickly rushing past Viktor into the showers. Viktor stood directly outside the door, slowly turning to stare at the locked wooden object.

"Hunh?" Viktor muttered, his face screwing up into a look of confusion. He turned and walked towards the closet near the bed, pulling out a spare pillow and blanket. Figuring that Yuuri would probably try to force him to take the bed, Viktor set himself up on the floor, turning on the Tv and leaning back against the bottom of the bed.

While Yuuri was in the shower, Viktor tried to pay attention to the soap opera on the screen, but he couldn't concentrate. He tried to convince himself that he was overreacting, that maybe he was just sleep deprived or something.

Which was ridiculous. He'd slept really well the night before.

"What the hell is wrong with me?" he mumbled, shoving the palms of his hands into his face.

"What?" Yuuri asked. Viktor jumped.

"Sorry, did I scare you? And what do you mean; there's nothing wrong with you," Yuuri said, massaging the towel around his neck into his hair in a frugal attempt to dry it off.

"Really?" Viktor's heart warmed at the thought, but he tried to shake it off.

"More importantly; why are you on the floor?" Yuuri's face scrunched up in confusion.

"Well... I figured that one of us would have to take it, and I didn't want to make you sleep on the floor. Don't try to make me let you have it; it makes me feel privileged, and I don't like that."

"Well... I suppose I'm not going to be able to make you switch with me..."

"But If we're going to watch Tv you could come sit with me on the bed until we sleep, you know," Yuuri remarked, turning away.

"I mean, you don't have to..."

"NO!" Yuuri startled, surprised at Viktor's sudden ability to find his voice.

"I mean..." Viktor winced.

"If you really don't mind me sitting there," he articulated, mentally rolling his eyes at himself.

"No, it's fine. I hate to see you on the floor."

"Okay. Thank you."

"No problem."


	6. Chapter 6

**Okay, I'm gonna give you guys a hint.**

 **Yes, it's on purpose.**

 **If you don't get it, then you are not a true Yuuri fan.**

 **If you do; congratulations. You are one of us.**

Yuuri was mentally pinching himself at the sight of Viktor watching Tv beside him. He was shaking, but from a mix between excitement and disbelief.

"Yuuri, are you alright?" asked Viktor beside him. "You look cold."

"I'm okay." Yuuri said. Never mind the fact that he was, actually, cold, or that he was more than a little curious as to how Viktor would remedy the situation.

"Do you want me to turn this off?" Viktor asked reaching for the remote, but Yuuri's arm spasmed out, grabbing the remote as Viktor's hand fell on top of it. Yuuri expected Viktor to remove it, but instead he just pulled Yuuri's fingers off of it and held it in his palm.

Yuuri felt like he was going to explode when Viktor smiled lightly.

When Viktor turned red and released Yuuri, he realized that Viktor must have done it by accident, and that made him frown in frustration. Viktor glanced over at him, asking why he was glaring.

"I'm... not glaring." Yuuri forced out. He didn't want Viktor to realize that Yuuri really just wanted him to hold his hand, especially because it seemed kind of weird.

Yuuri was pulled from his wandering thoughts when Viktor slipped off the bed and Yuuri reached out, grabbing his arm. Viktor laughed.

"Yuuri, relax. I'm not leaving. I'm just checking to see how the fans are doing." He walked over to the window, carefully checking the entrance outside of the hotel. Once he was done, he sat back down on the bed, scooting closer to Yuuri than he had before.

"They're still milling about outside the doors. I'm glad that security got them out of the building; it was a little nerve-wracking to have them running about the halls." Viktor smiled lightly at Yuuri, who was trying really hard to keep himself still.

"Yeah... really nerve-wracking." Viktor looked at him and frowned.

"Yuuri, are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

"Well... I think I'll sleep up here tonight. You know, just to keep an eye on you." Viktor blushed crimson, and Yuuri looked up at him, sure his face was the same color.

Wait.

What?

…

Oh no.

..oo00oo..

Viktor clicked off the television and brought his blankets up onto the bed, where Yuuri was trying to focus on anything except Viktor. He heard the man climb into the bed beside him, turning away and shutting off the light.

"Night, Yuuri."

"Night," Yuuri replied, cursing himself at how his voice shook. His heartbeat was racing a mile a minute, and he tried to close his eyes and sleep.

But Yuuri had a feeling that, one way or another, he wasn't going to get any sleep that night.

Yuuri's obsession with Viktor was one that he'd had since he was little. He hadn't entirely understood that being in love with a man was a bad thing until he'd gone into sixth grade and accidentally revealed it to his friends, with bad effect.

There was a boy at Yuuri's school who he'd thought was really cute, and when the boy finally started to talk to him, Yuuri had had trouble controlling his mouth. He'd accidentally let it slip at one point that he was really into him, and immediately he was that one kid at school who everyone picked on. He'd gone home that night, crying, and asked his mother about it. Revealing what that meant, she'd told him that being gay was not a bad thing, but it was also something that a lot of people in Japan didn't accept.

Yuuri's family had switched his schools, but when he switched, it was revealed that the boy he liked was switching, too.

To the same school.

Yuuri had become fast friends with this guy, and realized that his attraction to him may not have been as romantic as he thought. The boy, a fellow violinist, ended up joining him on the road, and they played music a lot of places.

It didn't matter to Yuuri after that that Phichit was straight. He hadn't really been all that into him in the first place, and now the man was just his best friend and roommate. Plus, both of them were big fans of Viktor Nikiforov, and Phichit was one of the few people that had guessed that maybe Yuuri's obsession with Viktor was a little different than he'd made it out to be. He was the guy who you couldn't really say much to without getting him to swear an oath of secrecy.

There was a reason Phichit had so many followers on social media.

But with Yuuri, it was different. When Yuuri finally admitted to Phichit that yes, he was gay and yes, he was attracted to Viktor Nikiforov, the man hadn't said anything about it on social media. He had kept it a secret.

That was one of the things that made Phichit his best friend. He understood his need for secrecy.

Yuuri was thinking about this, finally able to focus on something other than the weirdly comforting sound of Viktor's breathing behind him, when Viktor's cold toes touched his under the blanket. He shivered, trying to curl up tighter under the blanket.

"Yuuri, you're cold, aren't you?"

"No."

"Umm... okay." Viktor stopped talking, shifting around and looking at Yuuri's back. He tightened his grip on the sheets, shivering when he felt Viktor's fingers touch his arm. Then he heard Viktor giggle.

He knew.

"Yuuri, why do you shake when I touch you?" The question sounded innocent enough. His voice, however, was filled with amusement. He touched him again, giggling when Yuuri curled up tighter.

"Are you sure you aren't cold?" he asked again, his warm breath tickling Yuuri's ear. Viktor reached out again, but this time, he didn't touch Yuuri.

Viktor grabbed Yuuri's left hand, pulling him towards him and eliciting a small gasp. Yuuri rolled over, directly into Viktor's warm embrace. He wrapped his arms around Yuuri's middle, wrapping his legs around Yuuri's and holding him tight.

"Here, I'll warm you up." He laughed lightly, and Yuuri felt Viktor's heartrate speed up when Yuuri relaxed in his hold. Viktor really was warm, and cuddly, and...

Yuuri stopped.

Totally speechless.

Yuuri looked up at him, seeing him grin brightly. He stared into Viktor's eyes, their beautiful cerulean irises staring into his softly. He smiled lightly, and Viktor tugged Yuuri's head towards his chest.

"Can you hear my heartbeat?" Viktor asked. He laughed lightly.

"I swear, it's never done this before." Yuuri's heart warmed at the thought, and Viktor rubbed his hand along Yuuri's back.

"Neither has mine."

"I'm glad to hear that. And you know what else?" Viktor bent down and kissed Yuuri lightly on his forehead, resting his chin above Yuuri's head.

"You're the only one it will ever beat that way for."

And with that, Yuuri couldn't hold back anymore.

"Wha-" Viktor started as Yuuri sat up. Viktor tried to sit up too, but Yuuri pinned his arms down on the pillow as he propped himself up above Viktor. He smiled down at Viktor, who's eyes were shining.

"Yuuri-" Viktor stopped the moment Yuuri's lips connected with his.

Yuuri let go of Viktor's arms, instead wrapping his arms around Viktor's shoulders as he kissed him passionately. Viktor wrapped one of his hands around Yuuri's waist, the other hand in his hair. He laughed into the kiss, unable to get enough of the sensations running up his spine.

"Yuuri..." Viktor moaned, closing his eyes as Yuuri slipped his tongue into his mouth. This time he was the one shivering, unable to keep the smile off his face.

When Yuuri finally pulled away, he looked apologetic. Like he thought he did something wrong.

Like Viktor hadn't invited him to do just that.

"You are so hot," Viktor said, smiling at him lovingly. Realizing that maybe Viktor was okay with his kiss, he smiled and did it again.

And again.

Finally, Viktor kissed him one last time and snuggled down, whispering goodnight and curling into him. Yuuri wrapped himself up in Viktor's tight but comfortable embrace.

He fell asleep in Viktor's arms, dreaming about the man that lay happily entwined with him on that fateful Friday evening.

..oo00oo..

"Good morning, моя любовь (my love)," Viktor muttered, smiling, into Yuuri's ear. He would definitely have let the man sleep, but the reservation was only until today at noon. He figured that maybe they should leave before the hotel cleaners came in and kicked them out.

But he had to wake Yuuri up first.

Yuuri rolled over and sat up, looking momentarily stunned that Viktor was lying beside him. Then his face broke out into a soft smile.

"G'morning," Yuuri yawned, rubbing his eyes before wrapping his arms around Viktor and kissing him lightly.

"This is so weird," Yuuri giggled, running a hand over Viktor's cheek. He smiled even brighter, the happiness filling his eyes in a way that made Viktor's heart stutter.

"I know," Viktor said.

"I've never... felt this way about someone before," he admitted.

"Neither have I." They both laughed, getting out of the shared bed and walking into the showers to wash up before leaving the hotel.

"So, do you want to take one first this time or...?"

"Viktor, there's two showers," Yuuri rolled his eyes. Viktor blushed lightly.

"I know it's just I wasn't-" Viktor babbled.

"I just slept with you. In a flippin' bathrobe. Come ON," Yuuri said, tugging Viktor into the bathroom and shutting the door. Yuuri and Viktor's shared laughter could be heard through the door as they turned on the shower.

Once they were finished, the two of them crept carefully down the hallways, trying to find some way to get out while also hiding from the thankfully smaller mob outside. They crept into the weight room after snatching some food from the breakfast buffet.

"How long will we be stuck here?" Viktor looked at him pensively.

"Do you have a phone?" Yuuri frowned.

"Yes, but..."

"Do you mind if I use it? If we called a cab, we could probably try bolting to the car. I know, it's a terrible idea, but..."

"Here," Yuuri said, pulling out his phone. Then he froze.

"On the other hand..." Yuuri started, grimacing.

"Yuuri..." Viktor whined, annoyed.

"Why don't you want me to use your phone?" He plucked it from Yuuri's fingers, and the man tried desperately to get it back before Viktor turned it on.

"Aww... I'm your lock screen photo?" He hugged Yuuri tightly, kissing him on the mouth. Viktor smiled, and Yuuri breathed out, relieved.

"It's not weird?"

"No! I love it. But..." He winked at Yuuri.

"I'll get you a better one later." Yuuri's ears turned pink, and he looked down. Viktor started laughing.

"Come on, we need to get out of here." He turned on the phone, grabbing Yuuri's hand and pulling him towards the front of the room.

"Yes, this is Viktor Nikiforov. I need a cab outside of my hotel right now. Yes, it's really me. Please stop hyperventilating..." Yuuri listened to Viktor talk as he breathed anxiously. He barely understood where they were going, only knowing that very soon he was going to have to run through a mob of excited people.

He'd rather jump in a pit of snakes.

"Yuuri, thank you." He handed the phone back to Yuuri, who accepted it gratefully. He shoved it in a zipper pocket in his pants, deciding it would probably be more likely to make it through the crowd if it was safely zipped up in his athletic pants.

Then one of Viktor's many fans came around the corner. He squealed, jumping up and down and running up to him. VIktor didn't know what he expected, but it certainly wasn't Yuuri stepping in front of him.

"Stop." The man froze, his phone open in his hands.

"Here's the deal; you can take a picture with BOTH of us if you go outside and tell everyone that Viktor is over in the parking lot. Okay?" The man nodded enthusiastically, and Yuuri and Viktor proceeded to take the picture.

Less than five minutes later, screaming echoed from outside the building as the fan led the mob to the other side of the building.

"Come, quickly!" Yuuri and Viktor sprinted to the waiting cab, climbing in and telling the cabbie to step on the gas. Once they were safely away, Viktor looked over at Yuuri sadly.

"Where is your apartment? I suppose I should take you home," Viktor tugged Yuuri into his side, resting his head on Yuuri's shoulder.

"What if..." He stopped, thinking.

"I'd have to go back to my apartment, yes... but what if after I change..." Yuuri looked at Viktor hopefully.

"We go on a date?" He blushed crimson, looking down. Viktor's eyes were wide, but then his entire face lit up with excitement.

"YES! I would love to. Maybe we could meet at Nagahama Ramen in twenty minutes? It's only eight blocks from my hotel room."

"Yeah! Come to think of it, I live really close to there as well." The cab pulled up to Yuuri's apartment complex, and Yuuri smiled at Viktor once more before getting out.

"See you in a bit!"

"Of course."

Yuuri closed the door to the cab and walked up to his apartment, forgetting that he hadn't texted Phichit all night, or...

Oh shit.

"YUURI! WHERE THE FUCKING HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?! I HAVE BEEN WORRIED FUCKING SICK!" The man crushed Yuuri into a big hug, tears falling on Yuuri's shoulders as he hugged the man back and forced him back inside the apartment.

"Where were you?" asked Phichit icily, having calmed down enough to articulate his sentences.

"I was walking home when I ran into Viktor Nikiforov and his fans chased us to this hotel and we got stuck there for the night and I kissed Viktor and we have a date in twenty minutes and-"

"HOLD UP RIGHT THERE WHAT IS THIS ABOUT A DATE? AND WITH WHOM? I thought I heard you say Viktor Nikiforov, but I must have heard wrong."

"No... you, um... you heard right." Phichit stared at him, his eyes wide. He didn't move; it looked like he was frozen in place.

"Yuuri," Phichit said, his face falling. Yuuri was surprised; he expected Phichit to freak out a little more.

"How do you know he isn't playing you?" This hit him like a jackhammer. He was dumbfounded.

"Wow, thanks a lot Phichit. You're so supportive." Phichit put his hands up, but Yuuri stood from their position on the couch. He glared at Phichit.

"You know, I want to do something fun for once okay? I'm tired of feeling never enough." Phichit started to speak, but Yuuri shut him down.

"Because every time I close my eyes, I think of Viktor. He is the reason I play music. And the way I have kept myself from falling into some sort of depression is by telling myself that my dreams will come true. That one day, I WILL get to play with Viktor." Yuuri stopped, tears dripping from his eyes.

"And if you can't see that, then what kind of a friend are you? I'm going to go get ready. I have a DATE to go to." Yuuri walked out of the room, changing quickly and proceeding to run out the door without another word.


	7. Chapter 7

Viktor's heart was beating fast as he slipped into the Nagahama Ramen shop nearest to his hotel room, his face flushed and clad in his nicest informal outfit. The heat in the room seemed to go up a few degrees when he spotted Yuuri across the room, but then the air instantly froze.

"Yuuri..." Viktor breathed, rushing through the restaurant entrance and rushing for Yuuri's booth across the room. He could feel his heart beat at an even more breakneck pace as he slipped into the booth beside Yuuri and wrapped his arms around the younger man. His shoulders wracked with sobs, and he had his head laying on his arms, which were crossed in front of him.

"Yuuri, are you okay?" He seemed to curl in on himself even more when he heard Viktor's soft voice, but lifted his head when Viktor reached in and entwined his fingers with Yuuri's.

Yuuri's sobs were one sign of his obvious sadness, but the state of his face was what made Viktor's eyes tear up. He frowned in confusion, watching the man struggle with speech.

"Phichit... he... he..." Yuuri collapsed into tears again, but he didn't let go of Viktor's hand. It was clutched tightly in Yuuri's iron grip, and Viktor was starting to lose feeling in it. He didn't care though; he was much more worried about the broken man crying beside him.

"What happened?" Viktor asked gently, trying to make Yuuri feel better. He laid his head on Yuuri's shoulder, rubbing circles into his back with the hand that wasn't pinned to Yuuri's leg underneath the table.

"Phichit..." Yuuri breathed in deeply.

"He... I told him. About us, I mean. And... and..." Viktor squeezed Yuuri's hand reassuringly, and Yuuri was finally able to control his breathing enough to speak.

"He said... he said you were playing me." Viktor's body spasmed out, and he pulled himself out of Yuuri's grip. The man fell into tears again, but Viktor didn't move.

"Is that what you think?" he asked, his tone a lot harsher than he'd meant it to be. Did Yuuri honestly think that he was playing him? That he didn't truly have feelings for him?

"N-n-no!" He stuttered, looking up at Viktor with wide eyes.

"I—I don't think so! I think he—he has the wrong impression of you... and that's why it hurt so much!" He looked desperate, but Viktor's body was numb. He could barely hear anything; it was as though the entire world had gone silent.

"Viktor..." Yuuri started, but Viktor turned away.

"NO. You honestly think I'm playing you. I can see it written all over your face." Viktor's voice was venom, and it slithered out of his lips as such. Yuuri was surprised, as much as he was hurt at Viktor's tone.

"Well..." he started, and Viktor could feel his heart begin to break. He could feel the hairline fracture begin to grow as Yuuri looked up at him, hesitation barring his speech.

"You have... have had a reputation, and..." He gulped.

"I just need to know..." Pause.

"Are you?"

Viktor could feel the hot, forbidden tears stream down his cheeks as his heart shattered into a million pieces.

..oo00oo..

"I... I..." Viktor wrapped his arms around himself, his hidden vulnerability on display for everyone to see. He was in shock.

"You would think... you would th-think that of m-me?" Viktor sobbed, looking Yuuri dead in the eyes. The man looked sad, but he reached up and placed his hand on Viktor's cheek, brushing his hair out of his eyes.

"Yuuri, what are you doing?"

"I'm... I'm surprised to see you cry." He wiped away a stray tear with his thumb.

"You just broke my heart, and you're SURPRISED TO SEE ME CRY? I'm mad, okay?! You just asked me if I was playing you, and... and..." Yuuri's eyes went wide.

"You asked me if I'm playing you, when it's just the opposite. Yuuri, " he laughed humorlessly.

"I WAS FALLING IN LOVE WITH YOU." Viktor slapped Yuuri's hand away, turning and stumbling, hunched over, out of the restaurant.

Yuuri stood, his hand still reaching out to him. He debated going after Viktor, but soon discovered he couldn't move. He was stuck, watching Viktor cry as he walked out the doors.

"Viktor..." Yuuri mumbled out loud, ignoring the stares and glares he was getting from most of the people in the Ramen shop. Finally able to move, Yuuri collapsed back down into his chair, laying his head on his arms and crying even harder than before.

He'd only known this man for a day, and yet it took him less than that to break his own heart.

..oo00oo..

"Yuuri!" called Phichit when Yuuri walked through the doors. He was back to his usual overexcited self, but Yuuri was not in the mood to deal with his 'friend' right now. He just stumbled over to his room, annoyed when Phichit barged in and started word-vomiting all over Yuuri's sour mood. He didn't seem to even notice Yuuri until he finally saw the man glaring at him with tears running down his cheeks.

The flow of words stopped instantly, absolute silence filling the room as Phichit sat down beside him.

"Are you okay?" His voice was solemn, but reassuring at the same time. He placed his hand on Yuuri's back, rubbing small circles, but Yuuri pulled away. He glared at Phichit still, facing him, and Phichit seemed to soundlessly understand what was going on.

"You asked him, didn't you." It wasn't a question.

"Yeah."

"He was?" Tears kept flowing. Yuuri debated just telling the man that he was; he hated to reveal that he was the one who had completely ruined everything. He eventually decided against it, deciding that Phichit ought to know the truth.

"No."

"Then why are you crying?" Yuuri stood up, fed up with his friend.

"BECAUSE AS SOON AS YOU PUT THAT IN MY BRAIN I COULDN'T BE SURE OF MYSELF! I decided I was going to ask him, and HE COMPLETELY SHUT ME DOWN. He started sobbing and asking me how I could even think that, and then before he walked out the door he told me that he was FALLING IN LOVE WITH ME!" Yuuri screamed, spreading his arms wide, and Phichit gasped, his eyes the size of saucers.

"What?"

"Yeah! So, THANKS A LOT PHICHIT! You just completely RUINED my chances with the MAN OF MY FUCKING DREAMS!" Yuuri ran out of the bedroom, slamming the door in Phichit's face and bolting to the bathroom. He could hear Phichit call out through the door, but he paid little attention. He just sat on the edge of the tub, trying to control his bubbling up anxiety.

"Yuuri." He didn't answer.

"Yuuri, please talk to me."

"Why should I? All you've done for me so far this week is totally ruin my chances with someone whom I have loved for almost ten years. Now you expect me to just... listen to you like none of this happened?" Yuuri called through the fabric of his hoodie. He sobbed quietly, shaking from head to toe.

"No. I get where you're coming from. But just understand; I may have mentioned it, but if you were insecure enough about the relationship to question his antics, wouldn't that have come up again in the future? I guess you could say I just... sped up the process." Yuuri's heart was hurting, but this only made it worse. As soon of the words came out of Phichit's mouth, he gasped.

"Oh my god, that sounded horrible. I'm really sorry. Just... do you understand?"

"Phichit, the whole point of apologizing is to say that you didn't mean what you said. To say sorry and then continue like you are actually okay with what you said is not apologizing. Please, just... stop. Your excuses are only making it worse." Yuuri gulped, but stopped crying a little. He dragged his sleeve over his eyes, sniffling.

"Yuuri, please come out," Phichit begged, and Yuuri could see him wringing his hands in his mind's eye. He reached out to the doorknob, ready to forgive Phichit, but then he stopped.

"Phichit, why did you say it?'

"Hunh?"

"Why did you say that he was probably playing me? You don't even know him." Yuuri's voice was deadly.

"Well... I-"

"Phichit?"

"Yuuri, have you ever heard of Christophe Giacometti?" Yuuri remembered hearing the name at some point, and said as much.

"Well... He and I were good friends, and we were both big fans of Viktor in Middle School. You remember when I told you about that exchange program I did in Middle School? When I went to Switzerland?"

"Yeah."

"Well, before he became a world renown Saxophone player, he and I went to the same middle school. We talked a lot, and when I moved back we kept in touch."

"He ended up having a... fling, with Viktor Nikiforov, and the man just... dumped him one day. One day he acted like he was in love with him, the next... he dumped Chris and went out with another woman THAT SAME NIGHT." Phichit's voice got hard.

"When was this?" Yuuri asked, doubt filling his voice.

"…" Phichit hesitated.

"About eight years ago, but people can't change that much that fast," Phichit said, anticipating Yuuri's reply. Yuuri groaned, knowing that the man would never understand him.

"But... Chris said that he'd always figured that Viktor was only doing it because he didn't want to fall in love with anyone, but he never wanted to be single. Because then he'd get overrun with fans. You know?"

"What are you saying?"

"Well, Chris says that Viktor has never slept with anyone... and I mean just sleeping in the same bed." Yuuri's heart cracked, and he struggled to maintain his composure.

"He... he has..." Yuuri forced out.

"Wait, what? What do you mean?" The shock filtering through Phichit's voice surprised Yuuri.

"When... when we were stuck in the hotel last night... he slept in the same bed as me. But there was only one bed, so..."

"And you probably begged him," Phichit stated.

"No... actually..."

"He did." Yuuri heard Phichit bang his head against the wall outside.

"Oh my god. What the hell have I done?"

"That's what I'm asking you," Yuuri muttered to himself before walking over to the door and opening it.

"I... I just-" Phichit was crying. He almost seemed in a worse state than Yuuri.

"I wanted to make sure he wouldn't hurt you," Phichit muttered as a still-sobbing Yuuri enveloped him in a large hug.

"It's okay. I'm sure... I don't think I was the right person for him anyways," Yuuri sniffled, pulling away from Phichit.

"He'll find someone who's truly worth his time. Who will knock him off his feet in a way that I couldn't."

..oo00oo..

Viktor stood at the edge of the balcony, glaring down at the cars below. He sat on the railing, trying to stop the tears from flowing down his face.

Viktor's heart had nearly died the moment that Yuuri asked him if he was a player. The word filtered out of his mouth like sour milk, and Viktor hadn't known what to do.

The only thing he could think about was Yuuri. The silken strands of his raven hair that had tickled his nose as he slept the night before. The warmth of his body as he slept beside him, curled into him. He had a strange feeling deep in his gut when he had woken up next to the man that morning.

He had felt... content.

Viktor felt a new wave of emotions rock his body as his shoulders wracked with sobs once again.

"How could he do this?"

Viktor thought about the year before; about the man's strange need to impress, and his confidence. Viktor had known the man was drunk, but as he began to speak to Yuuri, he had the feeling that Yuuri didn't remember the most memorable thing that happened that night.

Sure, Yuuri had played for him, and spending twenty minutes with Yuuri was all the time he needed to become convinced the man could remember that much.

But Viktor was almost positive the man hadn't remembered what he'd done that night. It was the one thing that Viktor had had done to him many times before, but he'd never felt anything whenever it happened.

Yuuri had kissed him.

When he'd been kissed by other people, Viktor had felt happy. Sure, he'd never had that chill, or felt anything rush up his spine in that exciting way that people always mentioned in the stories. He'd almost assumed it was a joke.

But when Yuuri kissed him, he realized that it wasn't a joke.

Because when Yuuri's lips met his, it felt like the stars had exploded.


	8. Chapter 8

Viktor climbed off the iron railing around his hotel's porch, sighing deeply. He touched his lips softly, reminiscing about the man's kisses, and how they made him feel. He laughed lightly, thinking about how stupid he was.

He was completely enamored with a man that he'd only spent an hour with in a hotel two years ago, and only about double that the night before.

Well, that they were awake for, at least.

Viktor closed the door to his room, listening to the door slide shut with a finality that bothered him. He turned towards the kitchen, walking in and making himself a quick cup of coffee. He'd woken up less than an hour ago, his heart heavy but somehow a little less in pieces. Pouring the coffee in his mug, he reminisced, adding a little sugar and some milk to his cup of artificial alertness.

"Yuuri, what have you done to me?" he mumbled, sipping his coffee. It burned his lips as it lapped gently at them, but Viktor was too distracted to notice. He merely sat down at his coffee table, flipping through the channels on the large, flat-screen Tv facing the door.

Viktor stopped on a random channel, paying little attention to the news. He wasn't in any mood to.

Viktor would never admit it, but he'd never actually been in love with someone before. Yuuri had stolen his heart almost immediately; he'd dated people for months and never felt what he felt for Yuuri. He'd think about the man, want to go back to him; he thought that maybe the man was just insecure, but...

He asked Viktor if he was playing him after HE'D SLEPT IN THE SAME BED AS HIM, something he'd never done before.

Then again, not only did Yuuri not know that, it wasn't like they were really in some sort of relationship or anything either. They had known each other for so little time that, Viktor realized, Yuuri should have had the right to ask without Viktor blowing up at him. Questions like that were viable; there was no reason that Viktor should have yelled at him.

Viktor shoved his head in his hands, groaning. His coffee sloshed about in the cup, and he winced when some of it burned his hand. He just wiped it off though, taking the slight pain and attributing it to the stupid mistake he'd made less than 24 hours before.

"What the hell have I done?" Viktor slammed his anguished head against the table so hard, he momentarily wondered if he'd cracked it or something.

And while it wasn't broken, he wasn't entirely sure that the same was true of his face.

"Ahhg," Viktor groaned, lifting his head and holding it in his hands.

"Wooooo... Damn, that hurt." He stood from his small armchair, stumbling into the kitchen and pulling an icepack from his freezer. Sitting back down at the table, ice against his forehead, he'd started to cry.

And, three hours later and no tears left, he still couldn't help the dry sobs that rocked his body with a ferocity he'd positively never felt before.

..oo00oo..

"Yuuri, please. Come out of the room." Phichit called through the door. He scratched at the back of his neck, groaning at the sounds of sorrow seeping through the door.

"It's been a month. You need to come out." No reply. Phichit debated knocking the door down, but soon decided that Yuuri would only find another place in the house to lock himself into, and he didn't want that. He then pulled the only thing he could think of.

"If you don't come out I'm going to call Viktor Nikiforov." Scrambling echoed throughout the small, confined room until Yuuri finally reached for the knob.

"DON'T YOU DARE!" screamed Yuuri, slamming open the door and making Phichit jump.

"What is WRONG, Yuuri. You guys both made one stupid mistake, and it's like the world has ended. You should TALK TO HIM," Phichit grumbled, stalking away angrily. He didn't know what to do.

I mean, nothing short of shoving them in a closet together would get them to talk-

Phichit stopped.

Oh, Phichit thought, grinning evilly.

..oo00oo..

"Yuuri, there's a party tomorrow!" Phichit shouted enthusiastically, preparing to put his plan into effect.

"Leave me alone. I'm wallowing," Yuuri shouted back, the sound muffled by what was probably one very soiled hoodie. Phichit rolled his eyes, annoyed. He tugged on the door handle to their room, surprised to find it unlocked. Hating the way the door squeaked as he entered, Phichit winced as he stared about the room with wide eyes.

The room was in shambles. Where Yuuri had once had posters of Viktor all over the walls, there was now nothing but blank space and small pieces of tape. The floor was covered in food wrappers, and a few of the aforementioned posters, crumpled into large, shiny balls. Yuuri himself lay in his bed, his phone in his hands as he stared at the shimmering screen listlessly.

"Yuuri come on, we have to get out of here. The party will be fun! And you need to get out of the house." Phichit could tell by the way Yuuri's face brightened the slightest bit that he was actually considering it, and Phichit was immeasurably thankful.

"Okay... so, you promise go to this party with me?"

"Yeah, I guess." Phichit grinned mischievously.

"Well... than get ready. I lied..." He said, laughing.

"It's actually tonight." Yuuri sat up in bed.

"Wait, seriously?!" He pulled a face, flopping back down on the bed and groaning loudly.

"Hey, save that for Viktor." Yuuri looked up at him, confused, before his entire face lit up red.

"Hey!" He yelled, slapping Phichit's arms playfully. Phichit sighed, watching Yuuri walk out of the room. He smiled to himself, thankful that he may have just gotten his friend back.

..oo00oo..

Yuuri whined loudly at how boring the party was. Phichit had made it out to be some sort of raving celebration...

He didn't explain that it was actually a musical party. With the wine, and the idle chit-chat, etc.

Yuuri would rather throw himself out the four-story window that get dragged back into a conversation about the newest music from Leo de la Iglesia, a famous singer from America. He had listened to it so many times that he could almost recite from memory exactly what everyone was going to say.

"Phichit, let's go. This party isn't fun." Phichit grinned at Yuuri, and the look on his face did not make him feel good about this at all.

"Oh, it'll get better." Just then, a voice came over the loudspeakers, the booming nature of this voice making Yuuri cringe.

"Welcome to the 65th annual music competition! As you all know, this competition is about team work; we will choose two names out of this bowl, and the two will have two hours to compose and practice a song of their creation. It could be a combination of two songs, a completely new song... but it cannot be an already published song without a change. Then, at the end of the night, you will all perform for the audience." Yuuri smiled, leaning on the nearest railing. He didn't notice the way Phichit stared at him, looking as though he was trying hard not to laugh.

Or the way he slipped quietly out of the crowd, leaving Yuuri on his own.

"There will be no changing of partners. And once you are in the competition, you must play or there will be a small fine. Only so many people get into this competition, after all."

The sound of the man's voice crackled through the speakers, and he sighed deeply. Yuuri was excited; maybe this wouldn't be such a bad party after all.

"Leo de la Iglesia and Guang-Hong Ji." Yuuri's eyes widened; this must be all famous people. Yuuri face palmed, finally understanding why everyone was so interested in Leo all night.

The two young men climbed up on stage, hugging tightly before walking off back stage. Yuuri noticed that was probably where the practice rooms were, and he wondered how much it would take for him to be able to go back and see them practice. Then Yuuri jolted; what a stupid thought. Like they would just-

"Christophe Giacometti and Daniel Markus." Yuuri recognized the saxophone player, but not the drummer.

Though it wouldn't take an idiot to see that they were totally smitten with each other.

Focusing away from his fluttery thoughts, Yuuri focused once again on the stage. He watched the couple climb up onto the stage and walk behind the curtain, smiling deeply at each other.

"Phichit Chulanont and Seung-Gil Lee." Yuuri cheered for his friend; he hadn't realized he would be in the competition, and he was momentarily disappointed that he himself hadn't joined. How fun would it be to play with someone you didn't know, just for a night?

"Georgi Popovich and Michele Crispino." Few cheers erupted from the audience, and Yuuri was kind of sorry for the two.

"Sara Crispino and Emil Nikola," Yuuri laughed at the way Michele came storming out of the curtain, shouting at Sara about 'how could she join this competition with other guys'. When they finally got everyone sorted out, they were ready to reveal the last couple.

"Viktor Nikiforov..." A collective gasp erupted from the crowd, and Yuuri's heart fell. He didn't want to see the man with someone else. He'd never played a duo before, and Yuuri'd secretly always wanted to be the first one to play a pair with him.

"Yuuri Katsuki." Yuuri squeaked, jumping in his shoes. He watched Viktor walk awkwardly up onto the stage, and Yuuri could feel hundreds of eyes on his.

As Yuuri was herded towards the front to a very flustered Viktor, he couldn't help but think of that age old phrase,

'Be careful what you wish for.'


	9. Chapter 9

**I'm so sorry you guys. I truly am. I'm sitting here writing this and crying. Please, forgive me. I think it will get better, though honestly, I don't know.**

 **This is honestly torturing me as much as it's probably torturing you.**

 **Love you all (though it likely means nothing at this point),**

 **Viktor K.**

Viktor's heart was pumping faster than it had in nearly a month, and he hated how obviously flustered and awkward he looked. Trying desperately to keep up a smile for the cameras, Viktor knew in his heart it probably looked more like a wince. He could feel his face flush, and his hands shook at his sides.

It had been a month since they'd yelled at each other in the middle of a crowded restaurant, and Viktor's fingers were itching to grab Yuuri by his collar and kiss him in front of the entire audience. He controlled himself, however, standing what he felt was probably the proper distance from the man.

And while he knew that he would do almost anything to get Yuuri back, he didn't know if Yuuri felt the same way. He really didn't want to just positively throw himself on the man, only to have Yuuri reject him completely.

Even though he knew in his heart the man would never do that.

"Viktor, we should probably get off the stage." Viktor jumped at the sound of Yuuri's voice, and he looked over at him, trying to ignore the way his heart seemed to pump even faster at the way Yuuri said his name.

Never had anyone made him fall so completely head over heels in love. He tried to focus on what the man was saying, but he couldn't pay attention. The depth of Yuuri's mahogany brown eyes were so entrancing...

"Viktor," Yuuri muttered harshly, reaching out to grab Viktor's arm. And right as his fingers were about to touch Viktor's wrist, Yuuri pulled back, blushing slightly. The distance was torturous to Viktor, who wanted nothing more than to take the man's hand and never let it go. Instead, however, he just clenched his hand at his side and stood beside him.

Then what Yuuri said seemed to hit him like a ton of bricks. Focusing back on the audience, Viktor seemed to finally notice the way they stared and him and Yuuri, fascinated. He suddenly got an uncomfortable amount of stage fright.

Odd. He'd never felt awkward on stage before. Then again, he'd also never been on stage with the man before.

He wondered if that was a good thing or a bad thing. He realized he could barely do anything; the man was positively intoxicating, and he doubted that he would be able to even play a note on stage.

Oh no. The competition. Viktor realized that if he couldn't get his act together, they were completely screwed.

..oo00oo..

Yuuri was really started to get annoyed with Viktor. While at first he'd wanted to do nothing more than just crawl under a rock and die, the moment he'd seen Viktor, everything had changed.

The man was completely broken.

Yuuri could feel Viktor stare at him the entire time the announcer was speaking, and he couldn't help the discomfort that came from it. The hairs on the back of his neck rose, and his fingers started to twitch. When he finally looked over at Viktor to remind his they needed to get of stage, he found his next words caught in his throat.

Viktor's eyes were completely readable, in a way they'd never been to him, or anyone else, before. The azure blue irises were positively shining, like the sky on a clear day.

And Yuuri could feel his heart skip a beat at the way Viktor's eyes showed his devotion.

"C-c-…" Yuuri found he couldn't speak, and he reached out to Viktor, but then stopped. He wasn't sure how to handle the man at this point; he looked so fragile, and Yuuri didn't want to shatter him.

He had no idea how much Viktor wanted to be shattered at that exact moment.

Yuuri was finally able to pull his eyes from Viktor's, reaching forwards and grabbing the man's shoulder. He ignored the way his skin seemed to burn at that spot, or the way Viktor jumped at his touch. He barely moved however, catching Yuuri's eyes again and letting his mouth fall open in shocked silence.

Yuuri hated to admit how much he liked the feeling that look gave him. He felt himself flush.

Then Yuuri tugged Viktor behind the curtain, into one of the practice rooms. He heard Viktor protest, but he really hated the way the audience was staring at them, and the way they seemed to think they could read the situation.

He made a mental note to not check the tabloids the next day. He dreaded what he would find there.

"Why did you run away?" Yuuri asked Viktor, turning away from the door quickly and sharply. The man still hadn't come out of his smitten trance, staring at Yuuri with that same shell-shocked look on his face.

"And why do you have that dumb look on your face?" Yuuri spread his arms wide.

"I asked you a simple question, and you-"

"Simple?" Viktor looked hurt. His façade fell away, and he was just regular-old Viktor once again.

"Asking me if I'm a player is SIMPLE? You know, even if I straight-up told you that I wasn't, would you believe me? See? There's no good way to ask that question!"

"But I just wanted to know because we weren't dating at that point. I didn't want to ask you afterwards, because then it really WOULD blow up in my face!" Yuuri shouted back, his face turning red. Viktor jumped.

"You... you wanted to date me?"

"YES VIKTOR. OF COURSE I DID," Yuuri said exasperatedly, shoving his palm against his forehead in anguish. He hated how completely stupid all of this was.

"I..." Viktor reached out to Yuuri's hand gently, intending to take it up in his own. Yuuri could see that. He hated the way Viktor's face fell when, moments after his fingers brushed Yuuri's palm, the man jerked away, giving Viktor a glare that even Yuuri knew was subpar.

"Viktor, I..." He sighed deeply, glancing over at the instruments someone had at some point brought in. Reaching down, he picked up his violin with shaking fingers. Yuuri looked back up at Viktor, bringing the violin to the crook of his neck and picking up his bow.

"We should practice. We've only got a few hours, and we have to write a song." Viktor stood there, just... staring at Yuuri again. Then his eyes went wide, as if he'd had an epiphany.

"No... We don't," Viktor breathed.

"What do you mean? Of course we-"

"No... we already have a song we could play." Viktor pressed a finger to his lips, pensive. A small smile found its way onto his face, and his eyes shone.

"The Song of Two Rivers."

"Hunh? But that's-"

"They said we have to change it, right? Well... am I correct in assuming that it's a companion piece to something?" Viktor looked confused for a moment.

"Yes..." Yuuri was completely confused. Did he not know what the piece was companion to?

"What piece is it-"

"Let's just do something else, I-"

"Why don't you want to tell me?" Yuuri sighed deeply, embarrassed.

"Because the piece that it's based off of. The piece that I've wanted to play with someone forever..."

"It's yours." Viktor's eyes went wide.

"Oh." He said dumbly, his eyes even wider than they were before.

And for the first time since the stage, Yuuri allowed himself to meet Viktor's eyes. He looked excited, happy. Yuuri loved the way it made him fell; but he hated it at the same time. Viktor stood at least three feet away from Yuuri, but closed the distance in less than a second. He wrapped his arms around Yuuri, leaning forward and...

Yuuri leaned his head to the side, whispering in Viktor's ear,

"Please, Viktor." The man whined, but continued to hug Yuuri. Yuuri smiled a little, closing his eyes and leaning into Viktor touch in a way that he had missed so much this past month.

"Yuuri, why can't you just-"

"I'm not... ready for that yet, okay?" Yuuri whispered into his ear, ignoring the effect that Viktor's warm breath had on the soft flesh of his neck. He groaned, pulling away.

"We should probably get ready. This song isn't going to play itself." Yuuri pulled away, grimacing at the way Viktor seemed to hold on.

"Viktor, please let me go."

"Of course," he muttered, and Yuuri suddenly realized that while Viktor's demeanor had certainly changed, it had not gone back to normal. He was acting... off, and Yuuri decided to call this mood the 'trying to get what you want' mood. Yuuri rolled his eyes, pulling away carefully, extricating himself from Viktor's embrace.

He'd gotten over him at this point. He couldn't just go back to succumbing to his every whim.

"Viktor, we really need to practice. We've already wasted twenty minutes that we honestly can't spare."

"Yuuri, just... please."

"Please what, Viktor? I don't really understand. We really need to work on this," Yuuri protested as Viktor leaned forward again. He then pulled back, letting his arms fall at his sides as his gaze drifted to the floor. Viktor bit his lip, turning away and grabbing his cello from the corner of the room.

"Yuuri... do you want to play the Song of Two Rivers? You never really said anything about it earlier," Viktor asked, his voice warbling slightly. Yuuri tried to ignore the way his voice shook as well as he said yes.

..oo00oo..

Yuuri wouldn't look at him. When Yuuri rejected his kiss, Viktor finally realized that whatever he was trying to do was ultimately and truly a lost cause. Yuuri would never want him back, and he finally accepted this. Because Viktor was fully aware of the fact that Yuuri believed that he was playing him.

And it hurt.

"Yuuri... do you want to play the Song of Two Rivers? You never said anything about it earlier." Viktor cursed himself at the way his voice dipped and spun as he tried to speak, but nothing could be done about it. He couldn't just... rescind his feelings for the man. At some times, he thought he was being ridiculous. He should just get over him.

And he would.

Then he'd look back into Yuuri's eyes and fall for him all over again.

"Viktor, please stop staring at me again," Yuuri sighed, a warning edge to his voice that made a chill run up Viktor's spine. However, as pleasurable as that tingle might be, he knew that Yuuri wasn't kidding around. He would walk right out and leave Viktor with the fine.

When Viktor looked back up at Yuuri, his lips had been moving. He hadn't heard anything he said, however, too distracted by those beautiful, mahogany...

Viktor pulled himself back into reality, looking up at Yuuri again.

"Hunh?"

'Wow, that sounded really intelligent. Now he'll KNOW that you were staring at him again.' Viktor thought. He face-palmed, letting his hand trail down his face.

Then he winced, suddenly dizzy.

"Ohhhhhh..." He sat down, cradling the soft spot on his head that he'd just hit with the padding of his hand. He looked up at Yuuri, trying to close his eyes from the way the world spun around him, or the headache that was slowly spreading through his cranium.

"Viktor! Oh my god, are you okay?!" he shouted, tripping over and running his fingers over the side of Viktor's face. Viktor looked up, his cheeks turning pink, but he quickly held Yuuri's hand to his face. Yuuri looked like he wanted to remove it, but he couldn't. Viktor's fingers curled around his, rooting them in place.

"Yuuri, I'm really sorry for how I acted. The question was... understandable... I over-reacted..."

"Can we please not talk about this right now? I'm more worried about your head," Yuuri whined, trying to pull away. Viktor released him, closing his eyes and apologizing.

He'd loved Yuuri. He still did. And if Yuuri knew half of what he'd done to get him here, Yuuri would probably leave right now. It didn't matter that putting his name in the bowl was Phichit's idea, Viktor had still contributed a lot to it.

More than he'd like to admit, actually.

Viktor thought this as Yuuri rubbed his hands over Viktor's head, tracing his finger across his forehead. Then he seemed to pause.

Viktor glanced up to find Yuuri's eyes trained on his.

"Uhh..." he said dumbly. Then he shook his head, as though dislodging a thought.

"What happened to you? You look like you have a huge bruise here. What did you DO?" Viktor laughed humorlessly.

"Let's just say there was a table, I was angry; one thing led to another..." Viktor really didn't want to explain what he'd done to his head, especially because he knew Yuuri would blame himself for it.

All it did, however, was confuse Yuuri even more.

"Hunh? What, did you fall?" Yuuri asked, furrowing his brows and glancing away.

"No... I uh..." VIktor winced.

"I was kind of pissed at myself and hit my head against the table. Accidentally. But... that was, like, a week ago. I thought it would be better now." Viktor frowned.

"Yeah... that's a huge bruise though. What were you mad ab-" Yuuri stopped suddenly, eyes going wide. He stumbled backwards, staring wide eyed at Viktor as he backed away.

"Was this... was this because of ME?" Yuuri asked, tears sparkling in his eyes. Viktor stood, ignoring the slight discomfort that came from his off-kilter brain.

"No! I mean... yes, but... it was an accident! Stop, Yuuri," Viktor said, his voice hard.

"Stop."

"I—I'm sorry."

"You did nothing. It was my fault, okay? Stop being mad at yourself. I was annoyed with myself, because I had told myself that I wasn't going to fall in love when I was younger. So I would never have to get a real job. But that didn't happen. I met you, and..." Viktor gulped.

"And I fell in love, okay? I've never even slept with anyone, in my LIFE. I've dated people for months, YEARS even, and never felt the same way as I felt about you. You... you turned my life upside down, and I was prepared to give you everything. My career, my entire life... my heart. Because you were my heart."

Viktor wished he could staunch the tears that streamed down Yuuri's face, but he was still talking.

"I'd never doubted my feelings for you. When you asked me if I was a player, it hurt because I knew from the beginning that you were the person that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I wanted you to know that I loved you, but you basically asked me if I was doing it all as a joke. I wanted to bury myself in a hole and never come out again." Viktor rubbed the back of his neck, and Yuuri chest started to spasm with unexpected, and unwanted, sobs.

"I realize now that the only thing that holding me back from moving on is telling you how I truly feel, okay. I loved you. I did. But now I understand that while it may not be true anymore, I still gave you my heart. From that moment that you played for me, that night two years ago, my heart hasn't been mine anymore. I gave it to you, and to be honest?" Viktor said, reaching down and cupping Yuuri's cheek as he kissed him lightly on the forehead.

"Even though I don't love you that way anymore, I never want it back."

..oo00oo..

Viktor locked himself into the bathroom, his whole body shaking. His hand was held over his mouth as he cried, sitting down on one of the toilet seats. Tears streamed down his face, and he hiccupped.

Viktor's silver hair clung to his forehead as he sobbed, his blue eyes shining with glistening tears. He tried to hold himself together, for Yuuri's sake.

Because he knew for sure that Yuuri was a lost cause.

Viktor really wanted to stop pining after Yuuri and just let the man alone. His face was burning, his head hurt, and his throat was raw, but that wasn't the worst pain he felt.

The pain that Viktor felt in his chest was worse than anything he'd ever felt in his life. He could practically feel the tear ripping his heart in half, leaving an empty void that Viktor didn't believe he'd ever be able to fill.

Viktor was broken. And nothing in the universe could piece him back together except the one thing that he couldn't have.

Yuuri's heart.


	10. Chapter 10

Viktor wasn't in love with him anymore.

Yuuri felt like he'd had the entire world at his fingertips, then had it yanked out by a pull cord only to reveal a blank, empty space. He sat on the bench in the practice space, the upcoming competition forgotten in his mind as he watched Viktor stumble out of the room. He could see the man was about to cry, but he didn't know what to do about it.

Yuuri hated how he'd acted. He'd just... never truly believed that a man like Viktor could have fallen in love with him. He was a world-famous cellist, and Yuuri wasn't. He was just a local musician, with a few connections to a few other cities and countries.

But Viktor, with complete and utter sincerity, had admitted that he was in love.

And then he'd said that he wasn't anymore. Yuuri hated how his heart hurt at that proclamation.

Yuuri sat up, rocking back and forth in his seat. The bench was not uncomfortable, but it wasn't a plush cushion, and Yuuri needed to stand. He got up off the bench, stretching a little before walking towards the door. He pulled it open quickly, seeing the door at the other end of the hall.

Yuuri fully planned to just leave. Nothing he did at this point would mean or do anything. Viktor was over him, and even though Yuuri had only just realized how much he truly loved the man, he knew that this wasn't going to work. They would never be able to play together. Something would happen, and they would both lose everything.

And Yuuri couldn't bear taking anything more from Viktor. He'd already taken enough.

Yuuri walked confidently towards the door, standing on the entrance mat with his hand hovering over the handle. Yuuri thought about what Viktor had said, before he had walked out of the practice room. How he had once loved Yuuri, but had been able to get over him in a way that Yuuri just... couldn't.

But then there was the fact that Viktor was crying.

Yuuri bowed his head, staring at the floor dejectedly. He hated the way he doubted himself in times like these, and felt his fingers start to shake as he drew them away from the handle. Because he knew; if he left now, there was no turning back. He would never be able to get Viktor back.

And he hadn't realized just how much he wanted that until he felt his hand curl into a fist back in his pocket.

His mind might have been telling him that he should just leave; that there was no point to staying and talking to Viktor, but they had both been stupid. What Yuuri had asked was a completely valid question, and he couldn't stand the way Viktor acted around him anymore.

"Yuuri?" Viktor's voice was like the sight of a lighthouse after months at sea. You just couldn't believe it was there until you saw the rest of the land around it, and the comforting feel of the tide below.

Yuuri turned around, seeing Viktor behind him. The man had his hands shoved deep in his pockets, and his brown trench coat was hanging open over a gray suit. He had his lower lip caught between his teeth, and his gray hair was hanging in front of his face in a ragged mess. But that wasn't the worst part.

Viktor's face was a disaster. For everything that he had said about getting over Yuuri, he was sure showing quite a bit of emotion at the sight of Yuuri leaving. He looked up at Yuuri reproachfully, but then he seemed to realize what Yuuri was doing. He looked down sadly, his hand flying out, and he rushed back into the bathroom again.

Yuuri felt his heart pull, and he moved away from the door. His legs seemed to move him on his own, and Yuuri stepped over to the door, his hand moving up to the handle.

This time, there was no hesitation. Yuuri hand fell on the handle hard, and he pushed open the door quickly.

The restroom was fairly spare, with only one stall in use. It was the one farthest from Yuuri, and he walked quietly over to the stall.

Yuuri stopped when he heard the heartbroken sobbing filter out from underneath the stall door. He felt his eyes grow wide, and hated that he'd obviously made Viktor cry again. His heart was beating rapidly in his chest, and he forced himself to keep moving.

"Viktor," Yuuri started, and the crying stopped abruptly. He heard Viktor stand on the other side of the door.

"I... I wasn't going to leave. I never could. I know that you may hate me for this, because you say that you've gotten over me, but... I..." Yuuri stopped, raking his hand through his hair.

"I just wanted to let you know that... *sob* I'm going to leave you alone now. I know that me being around you is... Is only making things worse, and so... I guess this is goodbye." The door opened as Yuuri turned around, Viktor's hand reaching through and grabbing Yuuri's wrist. He stopped in his tracks, turning around to see Viktor standing at the entrance, bent forward and his eyes open wide.

"NO." Viktor's voice was steel. He frowned, as though unsure of himself about what he was doing.

"Yuuri..." Viktor pulled Yuuri back towards him, and his face seemed to light up a bit more when Yuuri didn't protest or pull away.

"Don't leave." He turned Yuuri around so that they were facing each other, their bodies inches from each other. Yuuri noticed the way Viktor seemed to fidget with his hands, his whole body lit up.

Then he started to cry again.

Yuuri was at a loss over what to do. His hands flew up, and he looked like he was being arrested. He just stood there as Viktor cried, his fisted hand in front of his mouth as he sobbed uncontrollably. Yuuri watched him for maybe ten seconds before he made a decision.

"Oomf!" Viktor said as Yuuri enveloped him in a large hug, his heart chugging in his chest like a freight train. He wrapped his arms around Viktor as the man sobbed, his body shaking with pent up emotions of his own. Yuuri could feel Viktor start to calm down in his arms as he held him, his arms pinned in between their bodies and his head laying on Yuuri's chest.

"I... I still love you..." Viktor admitted, sobbing against Yuuri as the man held him dearly. He felt Viktor move, his body shifting in his arms as Viktor looked up at him and laid his head on Yuuri's shoulder, wrapping his arms around Yuuri and holding him close. Then Yuuri started to feel his tears start to fall, and he held onto Viktor tighter, as though he thought the man would leave.

Then something seemed to change.

The two of them seemed to make the same decision in two different manners. Viktor pulled away slightly, his head running against Yuuri's as he moved. Yuuri did the same, though hesitant at first. He tilted his head to the side, feeling Viktor do the same, and closed his eyes.

Viktor lips touched Yuuri's lightly, as though asking a question. When Yuuri did the same merely moments later, Viktor leaned forward and full-on kissed him, his arms wrapping around Yuuri's neck and pulling him in as Yuuri held them together tightly with his arms. He moaned lightly, their tears mixing as Viktor deepened the kiss.

When Viktor pulled away, it took every fiber of Yuuri's being to not just pull him right back in and steal more of Viktor. He looked at the man, breathing heavier than he had before.

"I... I do... too," Yuuri said, his voice small, and Viktor's face lit up beneath his tears. He laughed, lightly at first, then it grew. Yuuri could feel his own laughter bubbling up in his chest, filling the void that had been there since he saw Viktor walk out of that restaurant nearly a month ago.

"Could we... could we please start over?" Viktor begged, his laughter falling. He pressed his forehead against Yuuri's, his mouth inches from the man's.

Yuuri only leaned forward and captured Viktor's mouth again, breathing against his lips,

"God, yes."


	11. Chapter 11

Viktor could feel his heart soar in his chest as Yuuri slowly kissed him, whispering his confirmation against Viktor's lips like a prayer.

"God, yes."

The tingle it sent up Viktor's spine was immeasurable to anything he'd ever felt before. It was heavenly, it was hot, it made him want more. And he got more. Viktor pressed his body against Yuuri's, rubbing his hand along Yuuri's spine and feeling him shiver and buck into him. Viktor grinned, slipping his tongue into Yuuri's mouth.

The moan that tumbled out of Yuuri's mouth made Viktor quake with happiness. He smiled, feeling Yuuri's lips turn up as well.

"I'm so glad you changed your mind," Viktor mumbled, pulling away and speaking against Yuuri's lips. The man pulled away suddenly, looking Viktor directly in the eyes.

"I didn't." Viktor frowned in confusion.

"I was always in love with you," Yuuri pressed himself against Viktor, grinning brightly.

"About time," laughed a loud, high pitched voice as its owner slipped into the bathroom. He stared at the couple happily, a knowing smile curling his lips.

"Phichit," Viktor moaned. "You ruined the moment." His shoulders fell, but his eyes were still shining. Nothing short of murder could get Viktor off that high that he'd been on since Yuuri had kissed him back. His heart was beating almost TOO fast, his breathing was ragged, and his eyes were glistening with unshed tears of happiness. Viktor could see the way Phichit looked at Viktor in surprise, beckoning his head towards the hallway.

Viktor looked back at Yuuri, trying to see if he'd noticed.

"Viktor, can I talk to you for a moment?" Yuuri looked at Viktor in surprise, but also in a sort of understanding.

'Oh, god, does he know?!' Viktor asked himself, his hands starting to shake.

"Nikiforov, NOW," Phichit said roughly, beckoning even harder with his head to the left. Viktor pulled away from Yuuri, leaving a lasting kiss on his lips as he stumbled out the door after Phichit.

Viktor's face turned somber when Phichit grabbed his left arm and dragged him to one of the practice rooms, shutting the door behind them so they couldn't be heard.

"So, are you going to tell him?" Phichit asked, motioning with his hands. Viktor winced, running his long, dexterous fingers through his silver hair.

"Um... I don't know. He... I can't bear the thought of losing him again. If he knows this is all a set-up, then-"

"Viktor, set-up implies that we did something bad. All we did was... bribe one of the announcers a little," Phichit's voice got even higher, as though he was trying to pass the blame onto Viktor, or lessen the blow.

"Oh, come on. It wasn't MY idea," said Viktor, pressing his hands against his chest. He sighed at length.

"Listen," started Phichit, closing his eyes for a moment. "I knew the only way to get you to talk was to get you alone together. I didn't come up with the idea to have him join this competition, bribe the person who was setting up the teams so that you could have Yuuri as your partner, and then decide to NOT TELL HIM AFTERWARDS." Phichit spread his arms wide for effect.

"Well, you did suggest it. You said that he wanted to be the first and only person to ever get to play a duet with me. I agree with that, and so I thought that maybe it would be cool. And... and I really did want to get him back," Viktor whined, clasping his hands.

"Could we please not tell him?" Viktor begged.

"The only problem now, Viktor, is that this is currently rigged against every other team out there. You know that you and Yuuri are not only a match made in heaven, you are both also the two best trending musicians in the WORLD right now." Phichit sighed at length.

"You bribing the announcer basically means that you cheated, Viktor, and you need to tell Yuuri what you did in case the announcer gets discovered. Okay?" Phichit clarified, bending forward and lacing his fingers behind his back. Viktor sighed deeply, groaning. He face-palmed.

"What have I gotten myself into?" asked Viktor. Then he stopped.

"Phichit, this is as much your fault as it is mine. Stop passing the blame! You totally helped me pay that guy. You KNOW that I didn't have 113000 yen (roughly $1,000, or €855) to spare! That would have been too much had you not pitched in!" Viktor shouted, his voice raising in volume quickly.

"But you paid most of it! And I'm doing you a favour. You would be disqualified if they found out what happened, or they would pick new teams! I don't want to have to switch teams!" whined Phichit, and Viktor had to admit; the man had a point.

Their miscommunication was what had ended their relationship before it'd even started before, and Viktor wasn't going to let that happen again.

He wasn't going to lose Yuuri a second time. He didn't think his heart would be able to take it.

..oo00oo..

Yuuri stood outside the door to the practice room, trying to listen to the conversation Viktor and Phichit were having. It was, unfortunately, in vain; they were called 'soundproof' for a reason. However, as he pressed his ear against the door crack, he could make out that they were yelling.

Though Yuuri already knew that. Windows could be helpful things.

Suddenly, Yuuri could feel the handle to the door turn underneath his hand. He squeaked, falling against the cool metal as he was tugged into the room by firm hands.

"Yuuri," Viktor started, wrapping his arms around Yuuri's waist and tugging him up into a standing position.

"Why were you at the door? Eavesdropping, were we?" He asked, the lilt to his voice returning full force. He laughed, placing his chin on Yuuri's shoulder and looking at him hopefully.

"Wha—you were yelling! At my best friend! I wanted to know what was going on," Yuuri shouted, gripping Viktor's hands. He felt the man go stiff behind him before he released a deep, shuddering breath.

"Yuuri, there's something I have to tell you." Viktor sounded dismal, an expression that rarely described him. He pulled away slightly, releasing Yuuri from his grip but not allowing him to turn around.

"Viktoru?" Yuuri asked, his voice thickening with his usually obscure accent. He felt Viktor quake gently.

"There was... It wasn't..." He breathed in.

"It wasn't an accident that you ended up with me in the competition." Yuuri gasped.

"What do you mean? Of course it was! It was a random drawing-"

"No. Phichit and I... bribed the announcer to get you and I to talk. I didn't know if... I wasn't sure if I should tell you... but if he gets caught I would rather that you hear it from me than from someone else, okay?" Yuuri finally turned around, taking in Viktor's tense body and downcast eyes.

Yuuri's heart started to beat fast with pent-up emotions. He reached out to Viktor, who looked like a kicked puppy.

"Really?"

"Yes. Phichit... Phichit told me how you wanted to play with me. How you *laughs* wanted to be the only person to ever get to play a duo with me. And... and I wanted to make that happen." He looked up at Yuuri hopefully, who just stood there dumbfounded, his mouth hanging open in surprise.

"I couldn't help but think; I never thought Katsuki Yuuri could be such a selfish human being!" He closed his eyes, rubbing the back of his neck with his fingers as he laughed nervously. His gaze flitted everywhere, never staying focused on one space at any time.

That was, of course, until Yuuri stepped forward and took Viktor's chin in his fingers, forcing the man to meet his eyes.

"Yes, I was selfish. But that's not the only time I've been. Viktor, I've made all sorts of selfish decisions on my own, messing up a lot of the previous relationships I've had with many of my best friends because of my selfishness. But I don't think that wanting my boyfriend to play with only me is all that selfish." Yuuri smirked.

"You're mine, after all." Viktor's breath caught at the strong and loving look in his soulmates eyes and he stood shock still. He started into Yuuri's eyes, deep into those brown orbs full of beauty and compassion.

"I have to go, I'm busy... you know... with... other things..." muttered Phichit, winking at Yuuri before opening the practice room door and slipping out. As soon as the door clicked shut, Yuuri's eyes got a shade darker and he grinned at Viktor, his teeth glinting in the harsh lighting of the small room.

"I'm gonna go crazy if I can't have you Viktor," said Yuuri, shoving him towards the wall. Viktor, powerless under Yuuri's grasp, felt his back slam into the wall, and he threw his coat over the small window to the room.

"You already have me, Yuuri," whispered Viktor. Yuuri's eyes widened at the soft smile that shone on Viktor's face, and he felt his heart rate race.

"God, I love you," Yuuri said, pressing his lips against a more than willing Viktor as the clock ticked by, unnoticed by the two lovers.

..oo00oo..

"Yuuri, we should really practice," Viktor started, kissing Yuuri again. He grinned, giggling impishly as the man whined against his lips.

"I really just want to keep kissing you," Yuuri said, his lips running against Viktor's as he spoke. Viktor pulled away, his face pulled down in a small pouty face.

"Do we really have to?" Yuuri whined, tugging on Viktor's shirt collar. He frowned as Viktor pulled away, feeling his body lean back from Viktor as the man reached down for his bow, which had been knocked onto the floor.

"Yes, we do. Or else we'll never win this competition. You know?" Viktor remarked, turning away from Yuuri again and picking up his large, expensive cello. He motioned to Yuuri's violin, which sat leaned against the wall along with his bow.

"Please. I want to show my love to the whole world," Viktor said, smiling. His shining silver hair was pointing in all directions, his shirt rumpled, and his whole body was shaking with excitement, but his eyes were shining. He didn't care about his physical appearance at this point; Yuuri could see that, and smiled at it. The fact that Viktor opened up to him so much, and was willing to show him his whole self, made Yuuri's heart pound with unspent emotion.

"Okay," Yuuri said with finality, a plan already forming in his mind.

Viktor always liked to surprise the audience, didn't he?

Well... it was Yuuri's turn.


End file.
